The fire was reported at about 9.30am. Crews took about 15 minutes to get it under control.

“Firefighters quickly put on their breathing apparatuses, went in with a hose and knocked the fire down within about 15 minutes of arrival,” Queanbeyan Fire Station’s station officer Jason Murphy said.

“There were some bystanders that had garden hoses and made every effort to knock it down but the fire was quite hot and quite big.”

The fire appears to have started in the laundry room and is believed to have been caused by a fault in the dryer.

“When crews arrived we observed large amounts of smoke coming from the roof and the windows at the rear of the house,” Mr Murphy said.

“We’ve now carried out some investigations and it appears that it was a result of a dryer, a fault of some type.

“There was one female occupant home at the time. She’s been checked and given all clear. Fortunately, no one was injured.”

The BP Service Station, located next door to the house, was closed for a short period of time while crews battled the blaze.

“Initially it wasn’t a problem as the fire was on the [right side of the house] away from the service station,” Mr Murphy said.

“It was taken into consideration and the service station closed for some time. If the fire had escalated, it certainly would’ve been priority to have units protect the service station.”

Local fire crews were assisted by NSW Police, NSW Ambulance, ACT Fire Brigade and Essential Energy.

“This is a timely reminder to check your dryers. We’re in winter now, it’s recommended once you do a load in the dryer to empty the lint filter,” Mr Murphy said.

“We also recommended you check your other electrical appliances and heaters.”